Long-Term Numbers Looking Grim For Sea Turtles Nesting In India - BBC

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The good news is that every year, 200,000-300,000 Olive Ridley turtles nest on the beaches of Orissa state - one of the world's largest nesting ground for this endangered species.

The bad news is that an estimated 129,000 turtles have died over the past 13 years. They usually suffocate in the nets of fishing boats not using mandatory turtle-excluder devices. The mouth of the Rushikulya river is one of three key nesting areas in Orissa, along with the mouth of the Devi river and the Nasi islands in Gahirmatha.

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Studies show that only a dangerously small percentage of the eggs hatch. "No species can survive such a high mortality rate. It is more difficult for an already endangered species," says Biswajit Mohanty, coordinator of Operation Kachhapa, a turtle conservation project.

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To promote the use of turtle excluder devices, the federal government has made available cheap devices costing about 3,000 rupees ($66) each. Still most of the fishing boats don't use these devices. Other long term threats loom large over the future of the turtles. For one, a crude oil terminal is proposed at the Rushikulya nesting beach. The federal government has also permitted drilling in offshore waters by petroleum companies for oil and gas exploration though a turtle expert group had warned that there were no studies about turtle activity in these waters.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4746120.stm